What Is the Best Way to Store Weed so It Doesn’t Dry Out?

If you’re looking for the best way to store weed so it doesn’t dry out, you’re at the right place.

In this article, we will be sharing some proven ways of storing weed and some instant tips on how not to store it.

Why does weed need to be properly stored?

As we’ve discussed in our “can weed go bad” article, high grade cannabis products go through a certain process, which makes them so high grade in the first place.

This first involves growing the plant with the best possible soil, watering, nutrients and lights. This produces plenty of trichomes which are packed with THC, CBD and other cannabinoids (depending on the strain). Once the plant has been masterfully grown, cultivators slice up the stems that grow buds and dry them for about two weeks.

Weed needs to be dried in order to be smokable, but balance is key. The buds are dried for two weeks in a dark, room temperature spot until their moisture content gets to about 62%.

Theoretically, you could smoke them right after drying but the next process brings the flavors and the potency to the max:

Curing.

Curing is a trait exclusive to high grade production because it takes time. Growers who need a quick turnaround usually skip curing, thus making their product inferior to the cured buds.

Curing is simply a process of placing buds in an airtight, glass jar and waiting it out. After about 2 weeks to a month, the buds will break down the remaining chlorophyll (which will make them easier to smoke) and regulate the moisture content inside them.

When a plant is cured by a professional cultivator, it can be stored almost indefinitely. But be sure to remember that it will start losing its potency after the 8th week.

Which brings us to the answer:

When you buy a high grade product and store it properly, you are ensuring that it stays fresh and potent for as long as you want.

Let’s now explore all the various ways in which you can store your weed.

3 best ways to store weed

Mason jar

You’ve probably seen how larger quantities of weed are stored in dispensaries. They are usually sealed up in a glass jar, similar to the one above.

You can grab these in almost any store and be perfectly fine for the rest of your smoking career. Being airtight, this jar will allow the buds to stay fresh and not dry out. As you can presume, air dries out buds so you should seal up your jar and place it in a dark, cool spot. Room temperature will do.

Once you’ve placed your weed in a sealed jar, put it away someplace dark. The only thing you have to worry about is not to expose the jar to sunlight.

Cannabis humidor

Yes, too much humidity can be detrimental to your weed—it can get moldy and potentially harmful when smoked.

However, if you manage to keep the humidity between 55-63% then your buds will remain fresh for months and even years. There are two ways you can go about that:

Either buy a regular cigar humidor which can let you manually set humidity (I’m not into cigars so I wouldn’t know the exact details) or buy a humidor that’s specialized for cannabis (like Cannador).

Besides the fact that it will keep your buds perfectly fresh, a humidor will also prevent air and light getting in and messing up your herb. Cannabis humidor is, by far, the best way of storing weed without it becoming moldy.

Tin foil (only short-term)

If you have just a couple of grams of weed that you need to store overnight, you can also use tin foil as a container.

Break up a bigger piece of tin foil and gently place your buds inside. Twist it at the top and put it somewhere dark, like a pantry. Your weed will be good for up to two weeks, as long as you don’t open it up too much.

What is the best way to store weed in your car?

Many people keep their weed with them at all times (especially in countries where recreational cannabis is fully legalized). I may or may not disagree with hotboxing, but I’d rather give you a few tips on how to not get arrested and how to safely stash your pot.

If you’re smoking illegally, never keep your weed in an ashtray or the glovebox, as this is where cops will search first. In this instance, you shouldn’t have a lot of weed on you while in transit and I advise you to carry with you only the bare minimum. You’re doing something illegal at this point and it’s not smart to store an entire ounce in your car.

With that in mind, you can put your bud in an airtight bag and then store it in a hidden compartment in your car, without it smelling. Depending on your car model, that may be somewhere behind door panels, underneath the steering wheel (my steering wheel has a really neat hole for this that is barely noticeable) or underneath your spare tire.

If you’re a medical patient, I advise you to keep weed in the packaging it came in and not store it in your car for a long time.

Quick tip: How not to store your weed

You will see a lot of weed tips on the internet but the ones on storing weed can be misleading at times. Whatever you do, make sure to:

Never put your weed in a freezer or a refrigerator;

Never keep it in a hot place;

Never store it in an open jar;

Never store in in a plastic container for over a couple of weeks;

Never store your weed only in plastic bags.

All of the above can either make your weed moldy or too dry—both of which you want to avoid at all costs.

To recap once again:

Whether you store weed at home, in a car, or your wife’s makeup closet, always keep it in a dark place at room temperature and make sure to keep it in either an airtight container or a cannabis humidor.